SUSAN'S COLORFUL LIFE

Cooking Class in a French Chateau!!

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-06:00

We had been told we were going to a French Cooking Class....but imagine our surprise when we pulled up in front of THIS beauty!

And not to Name-Drop or anything, but this chateau was visit many times by Louis XXIV as a hunting lodge!

Our host, Mark, now lives in this family home that was once occupied by the German's during World War II. He was the ultimate host and showed us around before the cooking class started. Have you EVER seen a fig tree this big?

This was just a "little guest house" on the property. I think I could just stay there forever!

Here's the pool and garden that the guest house looks out on.WHAT a view, right?

And the other end of the pool. Beyond that stone fence were some pet donkey's.

This is the view looking back to the house.....rough life, huh?

Mark obviously has a green thumb and has a way with begonias. Loved the fact that just random pieces of concrete fences decorated the flower beds.

A pretty little stair way to lead to secret parts of the garden.

Stunning, right?

More of the hidden garden............

Then around the corners was a century old bathhouse. The walls of the little domed building were decorated with shells.

The mosaic ceiling of the bath house.

Pretty Garden shed............

An interesting planter.............

A winding stairway..........

Another out building...............There's SO much room there....I don't think they would notice if I moved in, do you? Until all my friends started traipsing thru; because if I'm going to live somewhere THIS cool, you are ALL invited to come and visit!

A beautiful old (maybe I should quit saying "OLD" because everything THERE is old. LOL!

A random little cactus garden in the South of France.

The beautiful green house.............

Not sure what this building was....but who cares! It's COOL!

The bird house for fancy French Chickens.........

And THEN, we are invited into the special Cooking Class Kitchen. We all sat around this beautiful table and watched our host prepare a scrumptious meal of lamb.....and, OF COURSE, the wine was flowing.

Mark, our host and chef, was so personable and cute....AND a sexy French Accent!

This is a ricotta pie he made for dessert. The bowl is lined with fig leaves (from that huge fig tree, no doubt) and then baked for dessert.

More dishes and more wine.....................he even provided recipe cards to we could write down the recipes.

And here is the ricotta pie after it was cooked. Interesting, huh? It wasn't my all time favorite dessert but it was SO French....what's not to love. The other dish is a rice and chickpea side dish.

The buffet in the cooking kitchen.....

Being the nosy guests, we asked the walk through his REAL kitchen. Check out this stove and tile work.

And finally, just a funny thing I found in the hallway......This is PROBABLY one of his relatives....I just liked the shadow.

Check back later in the week for MORE FUN FRENCH ADVENTURES! Bon Jour..........

Visit to Provence, France---Part Deaux!!!!

2011-12-07T15:54:00.000-06:00

One of our little day trips out of Aix en Provence was to Lourmarin. What a picturesque (a much over-used word and still not adequate) village. My travel companion, Tyra and I found a shady spot for a bite of lunch. You might recognize a famous writer, British expatriate Peter Mayle lives in Lourmarin. One of his books is A Year in Provence.

This is their delicious version of Caesar Salad with Chicken....Yummy!

Tyra ordered a meat and cheese plate......So delicious!

Everywhere you turned there were cute little boutiques.

Our guide arranged for us to visit a local home. The charming owner, has a linen and lace shop that you can see in the background of this picture. It was attached to her home and was opened by appointment only.

A picture of her beautiful "jardine" where her grandchildren swing and play.

A little side yard with lots of pretty birdhouses.

Here's a shot of her garden wash-up and tool storage.

Then we were treated to a visit inside. Her home's been featured in a French home & garden magazine! It's elegant yet simple...and of course, beautiful!

A shot of the living room......so French....with muted tones of cream, green and pink. Check out the stone stairs in the background.

And here's the homeowner, showing her large stash of beautiful cooking pots.

Check out this cool kitchen. I would DIE for that stove. The backsplash, the sink and the counters are local stone. Notice how she uses lace and embroidered pieces in all sorts of places?

Another shot of the kitchen...................

Out by the lace shop is an old-fashion lace making machine.

The shop was tiny, but filled with all sorts of goodies. An interesting fact we learned: Most collectors of antique lace and linens do not look specifically for their initials embroidered on the fabric. They think nothing of collecting fabrics with other initials. :)

More goodies...........

A beautiful display out in the garden near the entrance to the shop.

And since it was October, the French also decorate with pumpkins and gourds. This is a shot of her herb garden....Can't you just SMELL the Herbs of Provence?

The tranquil backyard, with a hot tub and pool. Can't you just imagine sitting out there with a glass of wine, staring up in the the clear French sky! No big city lights for 40 miles to block the view of the stars! Ahhhh....Heaven!

Check back for more of my Colorful French Adventures!

Bon Jour!!!!

Oh La La......I Loved France!

2011-11-30T21:10:00.000-06:00

Well, I've been back from Paris for over a month now and I'm still glowing, excited to talk about the trip to anyone that will listen and ready to make plans to go back! I took over 1,000 pictures so it's hard just to whittle down to a few favorites.

Every morning we began the day with these WONDERFUL croissants....and Cappuccino. YUM!

Many of our days were in flea markets and farmers markets and the produce was beautiful and the flea market items were extraordinary. We had a the sweetest guide name Jill who grew up in California but went to university in France and still lives there. If you are ever in France and are looking for an interesting view of French life, please look her up. You won't be disappointed. She found out of the way stores, shops, trunk (garage sale type) shows, antique fairs....A DREAM VACATION!

This cute chest was in a Salvation Army type shop! Awesome, huh?
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Along the main street in Aix en Provence we found a cool Antique Fair......We got out and about early and beat the crowds!

Vendors hawked all kinds of wares, from old to new. This pottery reminded me of Fiesta Ware.

I couldn't get enough of the beautiful vegetables. Total Eye Candy! The epitome of Organic!

And the SPICES!!!!! It smelled SO good.

The French sure do have a way with baked goods. This whole store sold nothing but small cookie-type treats. Notice their presentation......the store owner obviously had to assist the customer or the whole cookie stack might fall down....giving a whole new meaning to: You Break...You Buy!

The first thing I noticed was how cute and small this orange truck was, but then when I grabbed my camera I noticed the bread in the back. It's NO JOKE....everyone buys their bread daily because it's against French law to put preservatives in their French bread, so it goes stale quickly. Many times we saw people walking down the street with a baguette under their arm.

Another fine example of beautiful desserts that the French create and sell.

And....finally, a CHOCOLATE shop!

I have tons more pictures and haven't begun to scratch the surface. So, if you are interested in seeing more of Provence and Paris, leave me a comment and I'll post more. :)

France....Here I Come!

2011-09-29T11:12:00.002-05:00

Blogging is such a COOL thing! You "meet" so many nice people and see so many cool and clever things. But my blogging has taken me even one step farther in the realm of COOL THINGS. Hold on to your hats ladies....I'm going on my first trip to France. With..... The fun ladies at the Red Shed in Grapevine. http://redshedantiques.blogspot.com/ You see...when I blogged about Grapevine, TX a few weeks ago, I had made the short trip from Houston to Dallas to meet some of my fellow traveling buddies and learn more about the trip.

Check their fantastic blog out....they put on these trips several times and year and even though I haven't gone yet....I know it will be the trip of a lifetime.

We will be visiting all sorts of fun flea markets, antique stores, have a cooking class, visit a chateau, a trip to the Cote D' Azure and much, much more.

The weather in Aix en Provence in October promises to be some of the best weather they have. Highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's with lots of sunshine. I'm envisioning we will be strolling down streets just like this one. I can't WAIT!!!!

We will see hillside views just like this!

We won't be seeing any fields of lavender because that season is in the early summer. However, I'm sure there will be plenty of "lavender things" to see.

Provence has at its southern edge the famed Cote d’Azur with its wonderful coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. Generally Provence is consider the area east of the Rhone River with the Alps being the eastern border. Provence enjoys a southern sun that shines 320 days yearly, giving the region blue skies and mild temperatures year round. And as a Southern girl, living in Houston with the temperature still hovering in the mid-90's, cool and sunshiney weather sounds like Heaven!

After 7 days in wonderful Aix en Provence, the Red Shed portion of the trip will end, but my traveling companion, Tyra and I, will continue on to Paris. We simply COULD NOT be that close to Paris and skip it....so we opted to add a few more days on our itinerary. LIFE'S SHORT----LIVE A LITTLE!

The few short days will only whet my appetite for more of Paris....but, hey....it's a start. A boulangerie/bakery is one of the first things I want to find. We will need strength for our busy and fun-filled Paris excursions.

And of course, we'll have some coffee, giggles and people watch while we plot out our day.

Montmarte is, of course, on the list.

And then perhaps a crepe, or I've been told to be sure to get a Jambon Sandwich (?)....

And it wouldn't be a "girly trip" without some serious window shopping!

Where would YOU suggest we go???? All suggestions are much appreciated. And of course, I'll be blogging when I return home. On the previous trip "The Red Shed" took they blogged along the way, so be sure and check out their blog! http://redshedantiques.blogspot.com/

Wish me luck!!!

San Antonio is Colorful!

2011-09-22T13:48:00.002-05:00

And we are OFF......headed to COLORFUL San Antonio, TX for a girl's weekend! My friend Rhonda (with the cute Shanty) picked me up in her new ride and we broke it in!

We stayed at a cool, older hotel on the Riverwalk, El Tropicano. It was built in the early 60's and was full of mid-century charm. The reception desk had a great wall of masks.

And in the lobby were the cutest, most colorful phones ever!

Here are some up close pictures of more masks and decorations.

An angelic, baby/man faced creature..............

This was the view from our room. It was very tropical and we felt like we were vacationing in "Me-he-co" (aka Mexico). The reception area and elevators played salsa music that gotcha movin' and groovin'.

Aren't these the coolest couches ever? Orange Leather!!!!

The rooms were classic and comfortable....

The bathroom, small but functional and chic!

Once settled, we were itching to get to the Riverwalk and check it out. From a river that once used to be filled with sewage, etc., San Antonio has created an oasis of relaxation and fun. No wonder Tourism is their biggest industry.

On Saturday, we headed to the "Mexican Market" and shopped. Aguas Frescas are the delicious, icy, juice drinks sold in the middle of the market.

And a trip to San Antonio is not complete, without a trip to the 24-hour Mexican Restaurant and Panaderia (Bakery)....Mi Tierra. Here is just a sampling of their wonderful baked goods.

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It's a three day celebration that sounds somber, but it is not. It's a happy celebration and Day of the Dead decorations are very big in all the markets.

And how about some ten gallon hats and sarape's.....just what every cowboy (vaquero) needs.

We ran across this pretty alter while shopping along the Riverwalk, known for its artsy goods and fun shops.

And of course, we had to PARTY AND DANCE!!!! Hasta la vista...........baby!

I Heard it Through the "GRAPEVINE", TX that is!

2011-09-14T16:52:00.002-05:00

Last week I had the chance to go to Grapevine, TX for 24 hours. Of course, I like to travel with friends, so you are invited to come along (via the photos). Next time maybe we can meet up there!

Grapevine is just a little north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, but when you are on the main street with all the vintage stores and cute restaurants, you are transported to a simpler place and time.

Can't you just imagine this cute little movie theatre having a line of excited patrons, waiting in line for movies in the 50's and 60's. Young people on first dates, family's waiting to see the newest Disney movie, mature sweethearts slipping out for a fun nite on the town.

Since I'm preparing for an upcoming trip to France (more about THAT exciting news in my next post!) I thought it would be fun to eat somewhere that looked a little "Paris-y". Oh la la!

I ordered the most delicious cranberry/orange scone and a great cup of Italian coffee. Gotta have some Go-Juice for all the shopping that lay ahead of me.

C'est Bon is RIGHT! Maybe I'll find a handsome Frenchman just like this one while in Provence!

All their pastries looked delicious.....but I resisted. (Remember I DID have a scone!)

These little tarts were calling my name but I resisted, uh....because I saw a cupcake shop that I planned on dropping by after lunch. See....I had a plan!

On the weekends there is a Farmer's Market that had delicious looking produce; including Hatch Chili's and local peaches. YUMMMM!

I almost passed up this little shop because it was small , but I'm SO glad I didn't. They had really cute stuff and not too pricey. I even found two cute tops for my France trip.

I'd heard some good things about this store, Hollyhocks. The owner is also going on the trip to France and so I was curious to visit her shop. And I was not disappointed. http://www.hollyhocksgrapevine.com/
The front porch and lawn are filled with interesting goodies that beckon you in to check it ALL out.

She has lots of garden and botanical type antiques. There's a fun mix of old and new and the prices are really reasonable.

There are beautiful linens, great shabby chic furniture and fun pillows.

Check out these cute pajamas! I'm sure they just get softer and softer the more time you wash them.

So.....that's my SUPER quick run through Grapevine. Be sure and check back soon and I'll tell you all about my exciting, upcoming trip to Provence and Paris!

A Cute Little "Shanty"

2011-09-08T19:20:00.000-05:00

My talented designer friend, Rhonda downsized recently from a swanky downtown Houston loft to a cuter, than cute, duplex in the historic Heights section of town. She jokingly calls her new place a "SHANTY".

So, since I LOVE signs, I created this one for her front porch, using a recycled sign, some letters I bought from a flea market and mirrors that I mosaic-ed.

As you can tell, Rhonda has a knack for decorating....even her porch. AND a green thumb! Which is amazing since we're in a huge drought.

Here's a look a little bit closer.

And here's the other side of the porch......her next door neighbor Brenda really lucked out when a designer moved in next door, didn't she? Plus, they also ended up being good friends...How Fun!

Blooming on the back porch is an okra plant with a beautiful flower. If you look closely you can see the okra on the top right of the blossom. She ultimately gathered about 10 pieces of okra off the plant. Pretty good for the first try!

In Houston it's a necessity to use drought-hardy plants in your yard. Otherwise, they end up being "crispy" in no time.

This cute little donky is "Pedro". Rhonda had freshened up his paint but she said he looked like a delicious chocolate donkey.

She asked me to come over and "work some magic" so I brought a tiny bit of paint and dry brushed him to show off his curves, and nooks and crannies.

And on the backporch stoop stands a pretty, perky strawberry pot with a sweet little angel guarding it from the birds and squirrels.

Looks like Pepe is sleepy, so I guess the tour is over. Rhonda promised to let me photograph the inside of her pretty little "shanty". You'll LOVE it! Check back soon!

Pretty Purple Houses....Yes....Purple!

2011-08-08T19:19:00.000-05:00

Purple is one of my favorite colors...I love to wear it and decorate with it. Usually purple brings out strong emotions...either you love it or hate it! I've gone so far as to paint my bedroom deep plum; as well as a couple of accent walls. Most recently I've been working on another purple project! More about THAT later.

This three story Orchid house really stands out in the neighborhood!

I think this Arts & Craft home looks stunning in Aubergine and beige accents.

This is a reverse of those colors.....beige with Aubergine trim!

How about THIS one! Violet and pale green..... I think it's wonderful, but then again I LOVE Color! Click on the house to see a bigger image of all the interesting accents. The Orange front door and the red mailbox just make my heart so happy!

And here's a striped beauty......lavender and burgundy....what a great combo.

And a new favorite color combination of mine......Yellow and Periwinkle! Check out the interesting way they painted the arches above the door!

And a crisp, sharp Eggplant and Cream paint job!

My house is a 75 year old sweet, wooden cottage. However, the previous owner installed a nice neutral grey siding. Maybe one of these days when I need to repaint the trim, it will end up some purple-y color.And here's MY newest purple project.......my front door! Originally it was a tomato-y red and I enjoyed that color for many years....but I decided to go a little crazy this summer and paint it a pretty Grape!

And here is the beginning of my next project......come back soon and see what I've been up to this week.

BTW.....did you notice how many different shades of purple I mentioned? What's YOUR favorite shade of purple?

Little Pink Houses for Me and You!

2011-07-23T18:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a few weeks but I'm back on my house photography safari! This time I was hunting PINK HOUSES and I found some to share with you!

These are a little terra cotta-ish color but they are pink enough!

This is one of my favorites....do you like it? The whole style makes me smile!

This looks like a fun place to live. Checkout the little area by the car and the fence! I'd love to see the back yard.

Now here someone who LOVES color! :)

A more subtle pink house.

This one was hard to photograph because the greenery was so thick. I like the green and white striped awnings.

This one's not quite so old as some of the others, but it's has character.

Besides the pretty pink houses, I love the huge trees in this neighborhood. Don't you? Next Post.....Purple Houses....and YES....I found some good ones!

Cocktail Kind of Night!

2011-07-16T13:15:00.004-05:00

Friday in MY world calls for cocktails. After a long, hard work week, its great to hang out with good friends and unwind. My friend, Susan A. (aka Gypsy Wanderlust) has a home that very cocktail friendly.

A few Friday's ago we had Ladies Night and it included the BEST snacks. Marconi Almonds, mini organic mozzarella balls--wrapped in prosciutto, roast red pepper hummus and various delicious crackers.

We're Vodka Girls here Houston and Skyy AND this Skyy neon are some of our favorites.

Smooch....is more than just an "action word"....it's a super delicious drink. Cranberry Juice ice cubes need to be made early in the day. When ready to have a Smooch...put THREE ice cubes in a martini glass and pour in lemonade and vodka to your liking. Then stand back and admire your beautiful drink. If you look closely you will see that the THREE ice cube create the iconic shape lips forming the shape of a Smooch! These are pinkish Smooches, but if you add a bit of food coloring into the cubes, the "lips" get redder. Really Pretty AND the cubes turn to slush for a great ending to a wonderful drink!

Susan's kitchen also has this uber cute Martini Neon.

This sassy yellow taxi cookie jar is a great conversation piece!!! Of possibly she keeps it loaded with cocktail napkins!?!?!?

This picture always makes me smile. It's so simple and it's great graphic art for Susan contemporary, yet eclectic kitchen. She and I were passing thru Alabama on a Christmas Road Trip from Texas to W. Virginia and at a rest stop they were giving these posters away. Susan has a great eye and knew immediately she would frame and hang in the kitchen.

And here's a peek of the living room, complete with a truck tool chest, serving as a sofa table/chest, salvaged from the back of a pick-up truck! SEE, I told you she had awesome ideas! This is where we adjourn, with cocktails, to begin the "Girl Talk". And that's ALL I can say about that b/c.....what's SAID at Happy Hour....STAYS at Happy Hour! Right? Right!

Do you have Happy Hour rituals or good cocktails recipes?

Another "SO CALLED" Colorful Cottage!

2011-07-11T15:02:00.003-05:00

It may astound and amaze you but I do actually have a full-time job at a commercial real estate company. Oh how I WISH my REAL JOB was blogging and painting and decorating and playing on Pinterest .....but alas......I have bills to pay, so I sell industrial buildings, service stations, retail centers, office buildings, etc during my non-blogging/decorating hours.

Today I received an email from a residential website advertising a COLORFUL COTTAGE...and since those are two of my FAVORITE words, I just had to peek. I'm voyeuristic like that!

True to it's word, the house IS colorful. I like the fence but probably would have manicured the yard a bit more if I were selling my house...but, hey....that's just me.

This is in a section of Houston close to downtown, where the houses are fairly small and the prices are large. This home was renovated and walls knocked down to make it more spacious and flow better.

How about a milk chocolate colored den? See the sweet doggy at the window WISHING he could come in to enjoy the air conditioning?

Now here's a colorful kitchen. Blue laminate counter tops and sunshine yellow walls.
Here's one of the bedrooms.....pish tosh....is THIS what they call colorful??? LOL! They should definitely come and visit my house---I'd show them colorful. In fact, as I'm typing this I just glimpsed a bit of PURPLE paint on my fingernail. GUESS what I did this weekend?
Now this is a challenging color palette to work with. My nephew bought an older house with this exact same pink and burgundy tile.

I liked all the windows and light in this house. This must have been a back porch that they enclosed.

One of the bedrooms, turned into an office.

And what a bright and happy porch/sitting area. Artwork is awesome!

AHHHHHHHHHH....the pool! That turquoise-y blue water ALWAYS gets me and is truly a favorite color!

Pool Side Art

2011-06-16T16:31:00.000-05:00

There's a wonderful place I like to go to that's right new door....my neighbor, Tyra's Pool! I love it so much I even made a little sign to point the way!

Years ago the two hubby's (mine has since moved on, but I kept the house, woohoo) installed a gate between our back yards for easy access to the pool! Great friends, huh?
Behind the gate is this beautiful, cool oasis. Check out the fence she recently put up. We found the fence on a Saturday trip to Carmine, TX at Garden Antiques Vintage at /http://gardenantqs.blogspot.com/.

Here are some of our MUST haves, once we've plopped ourselves down and are seriously RELAXIN'! Ice cold beverage, sunglasses, sunscreen, great magazines, and flip flops so you won't burn your feet when you have to cross the hot cement to go inside for more supplies.

A talented friend painted this mural along the side of the shed. I somehow still resist the urge to put two clam shells on her chest for a little bikini top! LOL!

Keeping with the beachy, coastal theme, is a wall of fish and nets. Click on the picture to check out the cool sign she got in Rockport, TX that says "Paradise Ain't Cheap".

More cool yard art we picked up in Rockport.......

Look who's watching you!?!?!? A portion of artwork a friend did randomly one night on my old ping pong table. Tyra was smart enough to snag it for her backyard decorating.

Have you had a Greek God check you out lately? Yes, ALL the time!

Here's the "other side" of the ping pong table art. I think it's a great way to fill up fence space.

Poolside isn't complete without music and the tambourines almost always make an appearance so we can play along to our favorite tunes. Great exercise, but watch out for bruises on your legs.
There's nothing better than just floating and listening to the sound of the waterfall and, of course, music!

And who says men can't multi-task. Tyra's son, Brandon, joined us and worked on his tan while texting! Ahhhh, what a life!

Pretty Green Houses

2011-06-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

Last week I posted about Yellow Houses....and this week I'm bringing you some photos of Green Houses.

The one may be small, but I'm not opposed to small houses....less to clean, closer to your loved ones, etc. :)This pretty avocado colored cottage is one of my favorite "green houses".

This one reminds me of the color of money. The cute window upfront is cute, don't you think?

This pretty pale green cottage with plus accents is cool and inviting.

This picture looks a bit putty-brown but in person it's a calming sage green. I think the fence and the front door are interesting.

Here's a re-done cottage where the front porch was enclosed with big windows. I like the look but ya'll know how I love a FRONT PORCH. Hopefully, there is a porch in the back!

Pretty and soothing color combination!

Like this color combo too!

The roof line on this one is what got my attention.

Well, this is a big ole house and needs a LOT of paint. I'm not sure if they are in the process of painting/scraping it, or if it's in disrepair. It certainly has a lot of charm and could be a real looker. Check out the diamond in the window and on the porch.

Next up......Blue, Pink and Purple houses.....and, oh....one really colorful rainbow house. Stay tuned!

Colorful Yellow Houses

2011-05-26T10:25:00.004-05:00

While out cruising in my neighborhood I suddenly noticed a lot of Yellow Houses. To me, it seems like a pretty and happy color to paint your home. Check out the pretty pictures below and let me know if you agree! My next posts will be blue houses, green houses, neutral house and my ALL time favorite, purple houses. And yes, believe it or not, a purple house can be REALLY pretty.

I love everything about this house. The simple front porch, the crisp cream and black accent paints, the red brick walk way, the front door and the Mondrian-esque fence on the left. Very random, but pretty!

The roof line of this house is interesting. The simple, yet impactful landscaping looks like something I might be able to contract. Gotta love those knockout roses that are so easy to care for, yet so colorful!

Another picturesque cottage.....I like the use of the periwinkle-y blue/purple in the trim. Check out those 16 pane windows! The little scalloped "shingles" on the front with the window are CUTE!

And who DOESN'T like a wrap around porch. If I owned this home that would be one of my favorite places to hang out.

This bright little cutie caught my eye. You KNOW how I love cheerful, bright and colorful! Isn't the fence interesting? Great for keeping your small animals in the yard, but it doesn't block the view. Check out the little star cut-outs on the shutters. Such attention to detail!

This place just makes me sigh....it's so cool and inviting. And once again....a beautiful front porch to sit on and watch the world go by....or to keep a look out for weird bloggers that keep driving by to take pictures. :)

How about Yellow and Teal? That's a good combination too! The porch railing has a great detail with the teal inserts. If it were my house I would paint the fence cream and teal....what would YOU do?

Yellow and Grey....now that's a classy combination.

Yellow and Cream with Red Brick Accents..looking good. Love the Craftsman style posts on the porch.
And one more Yellow and White with some touches of red. The brick path is a nice touch!

So, keep an eye out for my next posts....I found some GORGEOUS Green houses that I want to share with you. Happy Memorial Day Everybody!!!!

Tag Swap Goodies

2011-04-25T15:41:00.000-05:00

WooHoo is right! I entered my first Swap last month. We were to make a tag and, funny thing is, I have no idea why I joined the swap because I've NEVER made a tag. My sweet swap mate, Betty, at She's Sew Pretty turned out to be just the nicest and best tag make ever. And many thanks to Sandy at 521 Lake Street Blog for putting the swap together.

Betty's package came and I was so excited to open it up, I forgot to take pictures of the pretty wrapping. Everything was carefully wrapped in pink ribbon and pink tissue. So Special!!! In our emails back and forth at the beginning of the swap I told her I liked the color purple. What a cute purple Easter Bucket she found!

And this delicious smelling purple candle went immediately on my mantel. Betty even made a pretty little tag for the candle. She's GOOD!

And how about this purty little eggs?

And this vintage hankie...........I LOVE violets!

And this cute pincushion was HANDMADE by Betty. Check out the CUTE details......Amazing work!

And her extra special tag................

Check out the detail of the little flower, the pretty green cutout paper, the ribbon....I'm SO impressed. I told her she got the short end of the stick when she got MY tag; but it WAS made with love and I can ONLY IMPROVE...LOL!! Thanks again Betty.....you rock!

Vintage Easter Pics

2011-04-22T10:42:00.000-05:00

I've been digging thru old photos and found a couple of fun Easter photos to share from "back in the day". Every year at Easter time the wisteria if our yard would bloom and we would take the obligatory "Wisteria Picture". Perhaps that's why I love the color purple so much!

This is my sister Donna and me. Even back then you could tell I was going to be the silly one and she, the more mature one, don't you think?!?? LOL !!!

Easter morning was always so exciting. The Easter Bunny always left a basket full of goodies and eggs hidden in the yard.

Isn't it funny about pictures that when you see the rooms you are in and the people you are with, you are transported back to that time. Ahhhh....such great, sweet memories of a time long ago.

Every year, until my parents got wise.....we got baby chicks. They typically lasted for a week and then they were mysteriously GONE! The cats in the neighborhood LOVED Easter....if you get my drift. :(

Hope you ALL have a wonderful and blessed Easter and get to spend time with the people you love. And REMEMBER to take pictures....time has a way of slipping away all to quickly and photos are such great reminders of who we are and who we love.

Crazy Cat and Dog!

2011-04-20T19:35:00.000-05:00

Carson, the Prince of the Colorful Cottage got a new coat this Winter. I told him look handsome and dashing!

His sister, Riley, the Queen of the Colorful Cottage, told him he looked ridiculous....now they aren't speaking!

Do your pets like each other????

Something for EVERYONE at Warrenton

2011-04-19T14:03:00.002-05:00

Ever seen a Big Ole' ball of barbed wire...or as some Texas Cowboys say "bob war"? It was huge....as you can see by the big buckets of rocks next to it. I guess there's a buyer for ALL things.

How about a baggie full of beer bottle caps? My friends and I saved all our bottlecaps from last summer....and let me tell ya....we ~~guzzled~~ collected a lot and we had fun in the process! But we still haven't done any projects with them but have tons of ideas.

Last year I won a $50 gift certificate for submitting a photo of the Warrenton Market. This year the photo contest was run again. NOTE TO SELF: Get photos over to the Texas Trash and Treasures website so you can win ANOTHER gift certificate.

There's something about a bicycle built for two that's just plain fun! This is a pretty simple version. Notice, no hand breaks and just one speed.....GO!

Do you have a whole drawer of mis-matched silverware? Here's a cleaver idea to spruce up your plain birdhouse!

Burlap bags just flapping in the wind...could be turned into pillows, curtains, chair covers, tote bags....limitless ideas. I know you cleaver ladies could come up with all sorts of great ideas.

How about an embroidered headboard/footboard? It's sure to promote sweet dreams. And how about that prism chandelier?

Nothing says Texas Junk Gypsy better than Longhorns on the front of your pink SUV. And to protect innocent by-standers from being gored by the sharp horns.....pink coozies are on the pointy tips.

Ruffled bloomers, anyone?

COOL old television from the 60's.....the guy selling it said it worked!!! Obviously no remote control came with it. You have to change channels the old fashioned way, remember that? Oh the excercise we now miss by not getting off the couch to change the channels!

And lastly, one tired dog (not for sale) because she's too precious to her owners. But, she let you have all the FREE PETS you wanted!

Just Can't Get Enough.....

2011-04-15T11:40:00.008-05:00

With a license plate like this, isn't it obvious we are a band of "Gypsy's" out for a good time and a treasure troll in Warrenton, TX! This is my BFF's new license plate. Pretty Cool, huh? I like the retro feel of it.

As promised, I'm bringing your more colorful pictures of Warrenton.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a grouping of these in your yard? I would always be looking for leprechauns or fairies amongst them!

While in Warrenton we found a man that made the old timey kind of cotton candy. He made this huge bouffant of a candy right on the spot, spun sugar coating his hands and arms while he made this melt-in-your-mouth treat!

Fiesta Ware as far as the eye could see....

Pretty metal flowers that would go so well with the colorful toadstools. Can anyone see a theme for my garden growing?!?! I betcha I could KEEP these flowers alive through freezes and Texas summers!

This looks like a cool space to rest and smell the herb garden. Just don't put your nose to close to that cactus! And I just LOVE old bicycles---the turquoise color is gorgeous and the banana handle bars...Remember those?

Who wouldn't want some cute little goats in their yard???.....plus they wouldn't eat a thing!

Gliders always catch my attention and this one is in particularly good shape. They remind me of evenings on the back porch with my grandmother.

Ahhhh, Junk Gypsy....a favorite booth to shop. It would be a hoot to ride around town in THIS pink suburban.

The most ginormous metal rooster I've ever seen! He would go great in my fake barnyard....right along side the goats, flowers and toad stools.

More gliders and chairs for outdoors.....with a good scrubbing and a coat of paint these would be beauties.

Ahhh, WARRENTON......I love you!!!!!!! See you again in October.

Here's Your Warrenton Sign!

2011-04-11T15:32:00.004-05:00

My friends all know I have a THING for SIGNS! Especially Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper signs. And they need to be OLD! But those are generally very costly so I don't have many....most just pictures of signs.

Warrenton didn't fail me on COOL signs. I would love to have bought this Coca-Cola sign, but it would have set me back several hundred dollars. Which isn't a BAD price, just not in my budget right now.

Warrenton is full of interesting booths and fun and funky signs directing us to those booths! What's not to love about Gaudy AND Chic! Not a thang............

The sign is from a favorite booth .....Texas Trash and Treasures. They also have a very cool store in the itty bitty town of Carmine, on Hwy 290...It's the Big Turquoise Building. For the past few antique shows they've had a photo contest. The contest is to take pictures of all the happening at Warrenton and then send them to the Texas Trash and Treasures. Last year I was one of the lucky winners and won a $50 gift certificate for just taking pictures. HOW COOL!

Hmmmmmm......see anything wrong with this picture? I'm not an English teacher....I'm just sayin'!!!!!

And who didn't grow up eating Sunbeam bread? This metal sign was in optimum condition.

And here I am taking home ANOTHER sign from Texas Trash and Treasures. I guess I'm just an old Hippie....I LOVED the hand on the sign, giving the Peace Sign!

This was our final "SIGN" that the wonderful shopping trip was over. The sun was going down on Warrenton....our feet were tired but our hearts were happy!

God's Fingerprint Friday

2011-04-08T10:15:00.004-05:00

There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that says:

I can see the fingerprints of God

When I look at you

I can see the fingerprints of God

And I know it's true

You're a masterpiece

That all creation quietly applauds

And you're covered with the fingerprints of God

Happy Friday Everybody! One of my favorite bloggers, and probably yours too, is Beki at the "Rusted Chain" http://www.blog.therustedchain.com/.

Beki's a talented jewelry maker, photographer, blogger and SO much more. Come link up and tell us about your fingerprint of God.

Below is a picture I captured last weekend as we left the wonderful Warrenton Antique Show. It's was the perfect ending to a wonderful day and a great reminder that God is with us ALWAYS.

Below is a photo of myself at the end of the long, fun shopping day at Warrenton. I'm wearing my FAVORITE necklace from Beki at the Rusted Chain. It reads "Blessed" and that, I truly believe, I am. God's fingerprints are ALL over me and I wouldn't be blessed without him. Sure, my life's not perfect but God has BIG plans for me and I'm doing my best to walk and talk with him daily so he can continue to work on me and mold me into the person he wants me to be.

And here's a closeup of Beki's @ The Rusted Chain pretty "Blessed Necklace". You can have one too, just order it.

Colorful Warrenton Antique Shopping

2011-04-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

The Warrenton/Round Top/Marberger Antique Show comes around twice a year....April and October. Generally those two months are the most beautiful in South Texas. Blue Skies, low humidity, cool mornings but sunny warm afternoons. Ahhhh, paradise!

Since I've put myself on a major budget, I decided my visit to Warrenton this year would be more about photographs instead of buying "stuff". Don't get me wrong....I bought some stuff; just not very much. And I STILL had a blast! Good friends, good weather, good times!

These colorful little "berry baskets' caught my eye because I was trying to capture the colorful side of Warrenton....get it....as in "SUSAN'S COLORFUL LIFE"!

I thought the sunlight looked beautiful as it shone through these pretty canisters.

Don't these look good enough to eat? They are faux cakes.....I think if I bought them I would be hungry for cupcakes ALL the time, wouldn't you?

Since we are fast approaching Easter, many of the booths had an Easter theme. I thought this dapper Mr. Rabbit was VERY cute! It's like he has his hat in hand, asking for a treat. Maybe since he's a fake bunny he would be interested in the cupcakes.

These little Easter blocks were precious and I loved the vintage-y feel but I already has one set of blocks (not nearly this cool) but I opted for a photo instead of a purchase. What a GOOD girl I was...and let me tell ya....it was hard saying "no" to myself so many times!

I love the look of this whole shelf!

This sweet pup reminds me of my sweet dog, Carson (Prince of my Colorful Cottage--as seen on the side of the blog)! At first I thought it was a pinata but I believe it was just a cute, paper puppy dog.

Cookie jars always attract my eye....maybe it's because I love to bake cookies and eat cookies so much.

And what's Spring without a GINORMOUS Easter Bunny. He reminds me of a scarecrow that I put on my porch in the Fall. Hmmmm.....that's got me thinking......I should pull out my scarecrow and "bunny" him up.

I have many more pictures of our great time in Warrenton so....check back in a few days for more pictures!

On the Way to Austin.......

2011-03-27T20:34:00.002-05:00

Last weekend my friend and I headed to Austin on Friday morning! Isn't it wonderful to take a vacation day from the office and just do "girly things"? I NEED those .................

Chappell Hill is about an hour's drive outside of Houston...but it might as well be a world away. It's just so quite and peaceful and beautiful.

It's like Camelot....the flowers are always in bloom!

And if I won the lotto,.....I'd own this beauty! It's smack dab in the middle of Chappell Hill. I could sit on my front and watch the world go by. Ahhhhhhh....A glass of ice tea---this beauty....what MORE could I want!??!?!

Since we were just two crazy girls on the loose, we stopped at any Antique Store or Junque Shop we wanted too...heaven! I like to decorate with books/cards so I'm excited to add these to my collection .

I got a couple of linens......I just liked the pretty little flowers on them and it's hard to find Cottage-y things with Purple...so I snagged this. Plus the well made candy thermometer should hold up to my fudge and peant brittle recipes. And I've been needing a new cookie/bisquit cutter. And lo and behold, I found this set for $4.00! SCORE!

My mom had a set JUST like these........I just had to have them.....$6.... :)

Isn't this apron cute? I have a couple of them my Grandmother cross stitched some and was lucky enough to inherit them. I feel so June Cleaver (in a good way!) when I wear my aprons.

Hmmmm.....what do you think THIS is??!?!? Love the colors and it's going to turn into wall artwork in my colorful cottage. It was only $5. Sweet, right?

This board brings back so many childhood afternoons...playing Chinese Checkers, Monopoly and Life. Did YOU play those games?

Isn't this a bright, colorful fabric swatch? Two "purple" linens in one shopping trip....it was my LUCKY weekend!

Here the the whole tablecloth. It was in great shape and only $10.

But I think my all time favorite find that day was this book, "The Wonderful Tarbaby". This was another favorite childhood read and the illustrations are gorgeous. Are there any childhood books that you always look for?

Treasure Hunting on the Coast

2011-03-24T19:40:00.000-05:00

I'm playing a little catch up on my blog because I've been having so much fun flitting around. This past weekend I went to Austin and what they call their "City Wide Garage Sale". As any typical road trip, we had many stops before we got to our actual destination. Below is a teaser of my loot....but you'll have to check back in a few days to hear the "rest of the story".

Earlier I posted about my friend Lea's greenhouse in Seadrift, TX. Besides enjoying her wonderful hospitality and beautiful greenhouse and yard, we ALWAYS shop when we are in town. The first stop was a resale shop. These two sweet kitty's were so fun to play with but we zoomed thru the shop, got some bargains and moved on.

We almost missed this shop.....but we are sure glad we didn't! It's called The Treasure Chest and it's in Port O'Connor, TX. This is the beautiful and fun Joanie Morgan, that owns the place.
Last year this store was tucked away and now.....it's a big pretty pink building you can't miss!

In addition to a new space, they beefed up their inventory. I just fell in love with this picture. It looks like a photograph but it's acrylic paint. The shadows looks so REAL, don't they? I could plop myself in that picture and be happy for hours, just looking at the water and drinking that bottle of wine. :)

Pretty beach and ocean scenes in stained glass shown in the windows.....aren't they pretty?
I bought this necklace and it's turned into one of my all time favorites.

And my friend, Tyra, tried on this pretty aqua and clear beaded necklace. We all agreed she HAD to buy it because it looked so pretty on her.

Check back soon.....I've been going and blowing so much I've got tons to show and tell. Happy Spring Ya'll!!!!

Art Asylum--It's a Crazy, Fun Place

2011-03-08T18:54:00.001-06:00

I can venture to say many of you have NEVER been to a "shop" like this. It's call the "Texas Art Asylum"...and it's as crazy as it's name! It's a treasure trove of STUFF. People donate items but check out the website link at the bottom of this blog to see what they will and won't accept.

Ever had the urge to make a cigar box purse, or decoupage one to make a little alter...well this is THE place to find just the perfect box.

Old pictures galore......

Bottles of paint are next to the old trophies....so random!!!

And here is a crochet or knitter's dream......there are also fabric swatches, dress patterns....OH, the possibilities!

And my two lovely friends (you may recognize Susan A. and Reed from the Steam Punk Jewelry Class) tried on many hats until they found these two stylish ones.

To find out more about this crazy, fun store.....check out Texas Art Asylum

Greenhouse Oasis

2011-03-02T13:23:00.002-06:00

Are most of your plants looking like this after the FREEZING and HARSH winter we had?

Well, if you had one of these at your disposal you may have been able to save some plants. Or, you could have at least created your own little oasis of beauty and been surrounded by beautiful green, living, thriving plants all winter long!

Step inside this unassuming greenhouse and see what treasures it holds. It's warm and moist and practically pulsing with plant energy.

Who's wonderful greenhouse is this you ask and how am I so lucky to visit? Well, it's my neighbor Tyra's mother's house down in Seadrift, TX. (Between Houston and Corpus Christi). And it's right on the bay; with winds blowing constantly from the water. But here in the greenhouse everything is cozy and warm and thriving.

Lea decorates with seashells, statues and wind chimes. Each item (and lots of the plants) have their own story about how it arrived there. Some were given by friends, some were bought, others found in junk shops, and big trash boutique.

I think this little angel is so sweet. Check out the blooms (in February) on these plants! Mine don't even look that good one day after I buy them at the nursery.

Lea definitely has a way with plants. I think she's a Dr. Doolittle type and "talks" them into growing and looking good for her. She says she just waters, fertilizes and trims.....I'm not buying it...She's Magical!

Lea and a helper spend many, many hours trimming and pruning and it sure shows!

Look at this huge Kolanchoe......and the sweet owl that guarding the greenhouse----asking WHOOO goes there?

This statue of St. Francis is lucky to have such a comfortable and beautiful place to oversee.

And this is the beautiful and talented Lea, and her equally beautiful and talented daughter, Tyra. Tyra lives right next door to me and has a beautiful, small greenhouse of her own. She is always making me potted plants and giving me clippings for my garden....but so far the MAGIC hasn't rubbed off. I can kill a silk plant! LOL!

Steampunk Bracelets

2011-02-22T18:46:00.000-06:00

My friends and I attended a Steampunk Jewelry class a few weeks ago and boy, did I learn a lot (about Jewelry making AND Steampunk). The basic premise of Steampunk is based on the Victorian era, but with fantastic or advanced technology. Individuals that enjoy Steampunk wear often choose to modify their clothing, wearing Victorian-inspired outfits. These can be very elaborate, or they can be simple, with only a few subtle touches to make them stand out. Below is the piece our instruction gave us that was the basis for the bracelet we created.

The most popular Steampunk motif is the gear, symbolic of industry. Watch faces and clock hands are also popular because of their connection with clockwork.

Each bracelet had two pieces of chain on either side to hold it together. I never really thought about it but did you know that there are people that make their own metal chain. It's very labor intensive, but they DO it. Who Knew?

Our instructor (on the right) was an old pro at these thing and made it look SO easy. It takes a lot of dexterity to make jewelry. Plus, I think my fingernails were a hindrance. LOL!

One of our classmates (Monica Johnson) made her own steampunk type necklace and sells them on Etsy. Check her out at: www.vintageindisguise.com

Here's Reed, softly hammering the wheels in place. It takes a gentle touch, because the metal is much softer than we ever imagined.

And here we are modeling the finished product. Lovely, huh?

Steampunk can be expressed in many items besides jewelry. Above is a Steampunk Clock!

And here is a Steampunk Computer!

Have YOU gotten into the Steampunk Craze?

The Barn Sale Was a BLAST!

2010-11-18T18:32:00.000-06:00

We knew this was gonna be a hum-dinger of a day so we borrowed my friend's husband truck so we could be sure and buy all we saw that we wanted....no matter what size! How's THIS for a Texas Sized Truck!?!?!?! The Barn Sale was about a 2.5 hour drive from Houston so it was nice to cruise down the highway in this "Cowboy Limousine."

It was a beautiful day for a Barn Sale. It had been raining in Houston when we first started the trip but the weather was moving East and by the time we arrived.......Cool breezes and blue skies!

This is the first booth we saw and it didn't disappoint. There were lots of architectural antiques, which I LOVE!!!

I didn't know what these were or what they were made of (the tall color tube-like things) but when I saw them in last year's Barn Chicks post I knew I had to have one. Turns out they are chicken feeders....who knew...well, probably YOU, but I'm a Small Town girl, not a country girl and I didn't know what they were. I bought the purple one on the very far left (just behind the shopper), and my friend Tyra bought one too! We wanted a chicken coop too (is that what you call it?) but didn't get one this year.

And just to PROVE we were at a Barn Sale.....check out these HUMONGOUS cows that were lounging about just next to the sale

And speaking of lounging....how about this cute little cowpoke! He was enjoying a bit of sunshine (and Cheeto's) while his family ran the hot chocolate stand.

This booth has beautiful, antique Christmas tree ornaments just like my Grandmother had on their tree. We loved the way she decorated her booth and marketed her wares with the beautifully, chippy windows!

Suzanne, the Barn Chick who threw this shin-dig introduced me to her sweet husband and told me he cleans out his barn for her once a year so she can have the barn sale. This is the third year she's done it. So, just to prove the sale was in a barn, I took a picture of the hay bales. The hay seems to be a good back drop for this vendors rustic Christmas decorations. Don't you think?

This is precious Savannah.....she's been working for many, many weeks on her pretty beaded jewelry. She has quite the eye and probably will become a jewelry designer or maybe a cowgirl, and most likely a blogger!

And this is darling Rachel. She has the sweetest personality and lots of creative ideas. No doubt she will be a big success in whatever she does in life.
Tyra purchased this old washtub made of metal. We are thinking it's going to be perfect on her back porch as a soft drink/beer/ice holder, especially during the warms months (and in Texas that about 10 months out of the year)! There are plugs in both sides so it will be easy to drain.

As we were leaving the Barn Sale and telling the Barn Chicks how much we enjoyed it....I saw this cute little cow-poke walking in with his daddy and just had to get his picture. Isn't he precious?

After the barn sale, but before we hit up the local antique shops, we needed to re-fuel. We were told this was a wonderful local place to get lunch and it was true! So, we went through the cafeteria type line and ordered up the sampler platter which had a bit of everything.....brisket, chicken, ribs, sausage, potato salad, beans, cole slaw, bread, pickles....but hey, we didn't get dessert. We are trying to watch our figures...LOL!

All in all, it was a great day to get out of the city, meet some sweet fellow blogging friends, buy some cool stuff and enjoy the weather! I am NO LONGER A BARN SALE VIRGIN!

Check in next time to see what else we bought!

I'm Finally Going to a Barn Sale!!!

2010-11-11T20:25:00.000-06:00

WOOOOHOOOO.....I'm going to my first Barn Sale on Saturday!! Maybe some of you have been to one, but I only started hearing about Barn Sales after I joined the blogging world. For a while I thought they were only held "up north"....but much to my surprise I started reading about one from a fellow blogger....Suzanne at Barn Chicks.

Ya'll should REALLY "friend" her on Facebook . I "Borrowed" these pictures from Facebook just to show why I'm SO excited....I hope you Barn Chicks don't mind.They are promising lots of vendors featuring vintage, antique, unique, funky, local, handmade, remade, or otherwise-made stuff. Get your Christmas shopping done early!
These are pictures from last year but it's giving me a good idea of what a treat I'm in for. So, if you are in the Central/South Texas area on Saturday, you should try and come. Pictured below is Suzanne and her amazing photographer friend, Tracy. I'm hoping I get to meet them both because it's so cool to meet a fellow blogger in person, don't you think?

We are getting an early start so we can be there when it starts....9:00 a.m. (we have about a 2.5 hour drive) We're gonna go as we like to call it ...."Ugly Early". That means no makeup, most likely a cap over the hair, plain tee-shirt/jeans,etc. etc. I usually say I'm going Ugly Early and then still throw on a little makeup--I just can't help myself...LOL!

My friend, Tyra (above right) and I plan on hitting the Barn Sale first and then venturing 12 miles down the road to Gonzales. I've heard for years about a really cool architectural antique store there. Does anybody have any suggestions on places to go near or in Gonzales? And of course, check back with me.....because as usual, I'll be taking lots of pictures so I can share my fun adventures with YOU!

Colorful Weekend In Houston!

2010-11-10T19:51:00.000-06:00

The beautiful day beckoned me to leave work early on Friday!! Just looking out my office window at the downtown skyline made me smile! It's too beautiful a day to be stuck indoors.

Looking out the other window and it was confirmed. I'm definitely leaving a lunch and NOT coming back! I love this view from my office. See those church steeples in the middle right....so pretty! You can tell that our fall leaves haven't turned colors yet. That probably won't happen until December.

We celebrated my friend Rayma's birthday by gathering at her cute little bungalow and toasting a glass of red wine to the birthday girl. That's Rayma on the right looking festive in her orange jacket.
This is the house next door to Rayma. I loved their decorations too!

Next stop was the Houston Zoo. It's a gorgeous zoo, full of big oak trees and and tonight; 50 of the best restaurants in Houston. They brought little sample dishes for us to try and many gave us coupons for dinners at the restaurants.

We also got two tickets for wine and beer with our entry fee but more could be purchased! And we DID! I was a little disappointed because it seems most of the animals were already tucked in and ready for a good nights sleep. We DID get to see two elephant moms and their cute "little" babies. One baby is named Baylor and the other is Tupelo. Rayma was on elephant watch a lot of the summer. She's a zoo volunteer so she would get to the zoo at pre-dawn hours and sit with the mother elephant and monitor her progress. Pretty cool gig!!

The next morning my craft group and I meet up in Sugar Land (a Houston Suburb) and went to the British Festival. Here we are with a super sweet Bobby!

Here is a booth with ALL things Lavender. Even the Christmas tree! I got some bath fizzies there and I'm sure they are going to be decadently wonderful!

And her are some Scottish dancers.......doing their "thing" in their pretty kilts.

And the Bagpipes and drums sounded great too.

We had a sample of this plum pudding and it was good. It was served warmed with a butter brandy sauce that was quite stout but delicious.

A little tea room was set up instead of the usual burger and hotdog lunch. We were served hot tea (Typhoo brand)...have you had it? We even went along with the group and added cream to our hot tea. I think I'm a convert!

We each got a little bit different plate, but all have 3 finger sandwiches, a savory meat pie, a scone with clotted cream and jam and loads of sweets. It doesn't look like a lot but we were stuffed and felt so royal.

Outside we couldn't resist stopping by the small car show. My friend Fredna, particularly liked this green car.

And me....well, I bought the red one. Yeah, right.....just dreaming but I think I could look pretty cool driving the sunny streets of Houston for the weekend!

It was definitely a colorful and fun weekend. Hope you had a great one too!!!!

Dog Day Afternoon!

2010-10-24T19:21:00.004-05:00

To be such a little dog I love BIG STICKS! WOW.......Look at THIS one.....WOOHOO! I'm aghast!

GRRRRRR.....I really enjoying sinking my teeth into this one.........I can handle it!

Ahhhh....I've gotten it down to a manageable size. Chomp, chomp, chomp! DEE-Licious!

Boy, that was fun! I wonder if Mom will notice if I try and sneak the rest of this stick inside to gnaw on later? Nahhhh....she always catches me.

Happy Fall Ya'll.....Life is really good and I totally enjoyed my Big Stick! What do you, or your pets, like to do outside on a pretty fall afternoon?

Warrenton, TX Wonderland--Part Two

2010-10-14T21:22:00.000-05:00

Look what was "Zappenin" in Warrenton a few weeks ago! It was a great time with friends....wondering in the sunshine, checking out the cool booths, people watching, ohhing and ahhing over beautiful antiques, laughing at fun crafts. So come along and see what we saw........

Here's Mrs. Magoo....we thought this looked like us after a fun day of shopping. Exhausted, happy with a bottle of wine beside us.

Isn't this a cute way to decorate an old screen door?

How about a huge metal turtle?

We found the most delicious thirst quenching treat....Ice Tea Slushes! I'm a fan of the "Arnold Palmer"....a combination of lemonade and Ice Tea.....yummmmmmmmmmmm!!!

If I hadn't recently changed the colors in my house, these cute red containers would have been cute in my kitchen....so I left them for someone else to purchase...But I sure did like them.

This isn't any of the girls in my group but she caught my eye. She looked totally content to lay in the shade, pop open a cold beer and smoke her cigarette.

If you know me, you know I love signs. I can't IMAGINE WHY this one spoke to me....LOL!!! I used to have a bumper sticker on my car, ages ago that said....Good Girls Go To Heaven---Bad Girls Go Everywhere!

This sign booth had the cutest signs....AND the sexiest pumpkin.

This pretty mermaid looked so pretty against the clear blue sky.

We sampled some of the most delicious peaches I've ever tasted at this booth. He also sold organic tomatoes, okra and new potatoes.

My neighbors and I have been saving beer bottle caps ALL summer. Look what this clever vendor made with his caps. This wagon bed was lined with caps and then a thick layer of epoxy was poured in to keep them in place. Yee Haw!

I'm not sure what these interesting men were looking at but it certainly captivated them! Hope I've captivated you too and hope you'll comment or be back soon to check out more of Susan's Colorful Life! Happy Fall Ya'll!!!

Warrenton, TX Wonderland--Part One

2010-10-10T19:25:00.000-05:00

Warrenton....the Mecca of Antique Shoppers and Lookie-Loos! Whether you buy or are just looking it's a great way to spend a beautiful October Day. Warrenton is just one of the small town that make up the two week extravaganza. We were in heaven when all we could see were miles and miles of antique tents and beautiful fall weather.

A cute bird house on a fancy metal pole. The perch is made of a crystal door knob. Any bird should be thrilled to call this home.

Here's a classy black and white version of Halloween decorating.

Next we came across some really fun car parts. Our minds were working overtime thinking of the artwork, headboards or bars that we could make out of these beauties.

I LOVED this turquoise piece. It would look awesome with a leather upholstered seat in it, don't you think?

Boy have cheerleading costumes changed. This was hand made of pinwale corduroy. Do you think the A stands for Auburn????

I absolutely LOVED these dry sinks. This one was cleverly used as a beverage holder and the one below was meant to be a potting bench. Can you see the fountain in the sink.....Very Cute!!!

Check back for MORE pictures......we were there ALL day and brought back tons of pictures.

Fall Crafting---Martha Stewart Style

2010-10-03T18:56:00.014-05:00

My crafty friends are at it again and we had so much fun today! This month our hostess, Jennifer, found an easyMartha Stewart Video on creating temporary cobwebs on glassware. One of the tassel's made at last October craft day is part of the mantle decoration at Jenn's house.

She also has cute framed pictures of black cats, a spooky building and this boiling cauldron. Easy, but super cute!

You may remember Jenn's cake decorating skills from blogs past. This time she made these tasty decorated sugar cookies for us.....YUMMMMMMMM.

We used cobweb stencils and taped them to the side of the glass ware, then we painted or used paint pens to go over the lines of the webs. This made the paint on the side that didn't come in contact with food and it was safe to use. IF you wanted the cobweb to be permanent, you could use Porcelain Paint and then bake to make it permanent. We opted for the wash off method.

And here we are with our finished products.

A quick look at the cute mantle decorations!

Oh, and did I mention we got to make personal pizza's for lunch. What's a craft day without food.......??

And when I got home from Craft Day....my sweet cat Riley was basking in a little ray of sunshine she had found.....Too Cute!

Happy Fall Ya'll!!!

Fall in Texas!

2010-10-01T22:38:00.000-05:00

My Scarecrow is up............we can now officially call it FALL.............even though the temps reached the low 90's today! Even Carson is interested in the New Guy on the Porch!

Then we're going to watch a little football. Here's some pics from last week. My neighbor, Brandon (#8), plays for a small private school and is a "star" and just a really neat young man.

I love this photo of the team captains walking out for the coin toss.

This cute little cheerleader is at every game!

The school's so small that two football players miss out on the half time pep talk from the Coach to entertain the fans!

AND there are two cheerleaders that due double duty too.

And here's Brandon and me after another winning game! GO LUTHERAN HIGH NORTH!!!

Eat, Pray, Love

2010-08-14T21:11:00.009-05:00

I can not believe the summer has gone by and I haven't blogged since May. I'm blaming the HOT weather in South Texas...it's just to hot to think. But in honor of the movie "Eat, Pray, Love" coming out, I'm sharing some of my favorite Italy pictures. About 4 years ago I went on a dream trip to Italy with a man I was dating. Shortly after we returned we split. For a while the good memories of Italy were tainted, but now I say...SO WHAT...I GOT TO GO ITALY and he can't ruin it for me. :) So here are some of my great memories. If you ever saw Under the Tuscan Sun, you might recognize this as Cortona, the city the movie was filmed in. The only thing different about Cortona and the movie was there was no big fountain in the middle of the plaza. The townpeople always get the question....where's the fountain????

This was a vegetable stand that was closed but I loved the sign!

This is a typical Tuscan view.....ahhh......so pretty.

We had gelato EVERDAY while there....the presentation was beautiful.

Everywhere I turned there were little walkways and small streets beckoning me to look and see what was down the lane. Hope you are enjoying my little trip down memory lane.

Artistic Cars and Dancing Bears

2010-05-05T19:55:00.002-05:00

In honor of this weekend's famous Houston Art Car Parade, I had a little parade viewing of my own. Check out these cars I found.......... This plain Jane Station Wagon was fancied up with yellow reflectors.

I'm not sure if this is a Rastafarian Dude or Madonna or WHO, but it's very artistic, don't you agree?

Even though these bears aren't cars...they are cute. Every different season the homeowners decorate their dancing bears. Check out the cute bunny ears, baskets and eggs! They always look SO cheerful....I guess it's the dancing. My neighborhood has also jumped on the "Cup Cake Bandwagon". When this trailer is not parked in a vacant lot along Shepherd Drive selling cupcakes to the masses, it travels to nearby festivals dispensing delicious treats. The cupcakes are decadent and an affordable splurge.

This little trailer caught my eye while driving by....do you think it's made for a Munchkin? It's so short and squatty....but really cool!

And THIS funny Hippopotamus car I found in front of the Dancing Bear house. I wanted to knock on the door and ask what the story was and why they decorated their car this way. I didn't have the nerve, so we'll all just have to wonder.

And here's the back view....notice the license plate says "Potami"! And see the baby hippo on the top snoozing? Maybe this person just LOVES Hippos.....who knows?

And one more cute little ride..........I would really love to tool around the neighborhood in this baby blue cream puff! The only thing that would make it better would be if it were a convertible.

Garden Shopping in South Texas

2010-04-28T20:27:00.007-05:00

This weekend a couple of friends and I headed south of Houston to the Seadrift/Victoria/Goliad area. We were in need of some good healthy plants and heard that Devereux Gardens was the place to go. The Garden's are part of the Devereux Foundation that provides services to children, adults, and families with special needs stemming from behavioral, psychological, intellectual or neurological impairments. After seeing the beautiful plants they grow, it seems the program is working and benefiting all.

These beautiful trees and pretty wildflowers surround the garden/nursery.

Pretty flats of annuals, herbs, roses, perennials, etc. were all over the place.

I had three other "gardeners" with me and we quickly filled up two carts of goodies. Thank GOODNESS we thought ahead and took two cars. By the time the day was over and we'd made a few more stops, both cars were filled to the gills.

Devereaux thrives because they can "make" more plants from cuttings and seeds. The workers do all the planting, re-potting and trimming in this shady covered area. It's April in South Texas and the hot sun can beat down and temps can reach 90 degrees by mid-day. We all had "red necks" and "farmers tans" by the time we finished shopping. But we got great healthy plants and it was a fun outing.....NOW I need to get out in the yard and plant all my goodies.

Just Gotta Laugh.....

2010-04-11T20:26:00.006-05:00

I drove by this sign and HAD to laugh! Obviously not much time or effort was put into the creation of this sign. But the next day the sign was gone.....so maybe SOMEONE responded and GOT that dream job! The boss is probably very easy to please, given the standards he put into the employee search.

Happy Monday Ya'll!

Craft Day---Easter Style

2010-04-02T09:55:00.007-05:00

Recently my crafting buddies and I had another craft day and this time we made Easter Egg wreaths. Jenn, who hosted this time, always has the cutest ideas and is such a great event planner. Below are the gifts baskets we all got to take home. Note along with the baskets are some cleaver decorating ideas.

We all brought a grapevine wreath, eggs already the right color or painted before hand, and a hot glue gun.

Vanessa found some really cute egg garland and glued THAT onto her wreath. And she SAYS she's not crafty!

Here is the finished product.

After I got home, I added some ribbon for hanging, my little "welcome" sign and a little bit more vine that I cut from my yard.

Here's what the finished product looked like hanging on my door.

And whoops, wouldn't you know it..... I've already had a few eggs drop off...but never fear, I'll get out the trusty Glue Gun and it will be easily fixed. Those high temperatures we had earlier in the week must has loosened up some of the glue.

Happy Spring Ya'll....hope you have a wonderful Easter!!!!

Easter Bunny Parade

2010-03-23T19:46:00.004-05:00

Last weekend while it was unseasonably cold and wintry in Houston, I thought I'd put myself in a Spring Mood....so out came my boxes of bunnies! My neighbor gave me the cute picket fence that I used in my dining room mantle.

Here are my living room bunnies...a bit more understated to go with the colors in that room. The old books tied up with string are my "score" at the Urban Market. They are dated 1918 and come from a home that is about a mile from mine. I thought that was very cool!

I obviously have a "thing" for very tall, long legged bunnies. These were set up on a small bookshelf in my living room. They are having a little bunny picnic.

I love this little hard working bunny....always toting a batch of pretty eggs around.

Welcome Friends---Clean Or Dirty!!!

2010-03-21T10:12:00.009-05:00

Happy Spring Ya'll!!!!!

Happy Spring to all my blogging friends! I finally got a new camera yesterday...a Kodak Easy Share. I'm just so happy to have a camera again. I kept thinking of projects I wanted to do, but without a before and after picture I kept putting them on the back burner.
And here's a photo of one of my favorite subject....CARSON!!!

Yesterday turned out cold and rainy and by the afternoon Carson was ready for a run around the yard. He and his buddy next door had so much fun, but OMG.....look at the little stinker. He's ALL boy and LOVES to get dirty. So...here's the BEFORE picture.......

And here's the AFTER picture. All bathed and dried and playing happily with his bone and "doll". Do you think he looks happier when he is clean or dirty? LOL!!!!!

I'm a Camera Killer!

2010-03-09T13:15:00.010-06:00

I got a new Sanyo E1090 camera a few months ago after my Canon Elph died. I wasn't super thrilled with my Sanyo but the price was right and it was small and fairly simple to use.

Now my new Sanyo is giving me a "Lens Error" message and won't work at all! Many of you have such beautiful photos on your blogs....would you mind sharing with me what kind of camera you use. Remember, I'm a single girl so I don't have a big camera budget. However, I MUST get a new camera because I keep looking at things and itching to blog....it's driving me crazy. And I'm sure you all are just going bonkers because I haven't posted much lately...LOL! Anyway, if you would comment and tell me about your camera and maybe price range, that would be awesome. Thank you my wonderful blogging friends!

I'm going BONKERS without a camera. Do you think I'm a CAMERA KILLER!?!?!? I'm beginning to think so. :(

St. Patrick's Day Garland

2010-02-21T19:57:00.020-06:00

This weekend my crafty friends got together for another fun day of crafting. This time we made St. Patrick's Day Garlands. I feel LUCKY to have friends that like to craft, enjoy good food and visit and laugh while creating. Jennifer, far left, found us a cute example to go by but there was no tutorial....so if, this was your post, let me know. Your picture was so cute, I want to give you credit!

It's so funny how we all look at an example and then make it our own with the fabrics, materials, ideas, etc of our choosing. Since I like vintage thing and love ephemera, I turned my garland (above) into a more vintage-y version.

Our hostess made us a St. Patrick's themed lunch with Irish Stew, Green Soda Bread, and Green Peach Ice Tea. Cheers to you Denise and Jennifer!

And here's the Hostess with the Most-est...Fredna. She always throws a great party and everything is so coordinated. I should REALLY get her involved in Blogging....she'd be awesome at TableScapes. She's also an expert seamstress and can whip up the cutest pillows and drapes.

Here are some of the items I pulled together to create my garland. Here is work in progress for some of the other ladies project.

The crafting table....where the creative juices were flowing...........

And here's my finished project.........I have a little bit more tweaking to do. It will go up on the mantle soon.

Are YOU lucky enough to have friends that like to do crafts with you??? Or do you prefer to work alone? I enjoy seeing every one's own personality emerge when I'm with a group...and of course, the girl talk is priceless. What's said at the crafting table----stays at the crafting table! RIGHT!!??!?! LOL!

Valentine's Scrappy Heart Craft Day

2010-02-02T19:43:00.006-06:00

My fellow crafter friend, Kathy, discovered a fun and easy tutorial on "Little Birdie Secrets Blog". She was so excited to try the heart wreath that she made one and THEN shared the little secret with us. February was my month to host the craft day, so I jumped right on this craft...it was PERFECT for us. Above is my finished wreath....isn't it sweet?

Basically you need a Styrofoam heart wreath, a yard or so of fabric, some glue and a pencil or small screwdriver. The tutorial called for a pencil but I guess we are BRUT'S and kept breaking the pencil. So we used small Phillips head screw drivers.

Here is part of the group at my kitchen table, cutting and punching away. Basically, you cut 2 inch square pieces of fabric, wrap the fabric around the pencil, stick the tip of the fabric in the glue and JAM the pencil into the foam.

Here are some of the finished products....Fredna, on the left used a primitive fabric with a maroon background and tan hearts. By the time it was put together, it looked like Victorian dried roses. Jennifer, in the middle, used a fabric with a white background with red, and two shades of pink hearts; and Kathy, used red and white polka dots. We had fun seeing the color the wreath turned out to be.

My next project is to try and make a Valentine Garland. What kind of craft are YOU going to try this Valentine Season!?!?!?!

Colorful Place to Visit

2010-01-14T13:36:00.014-06:00

One of my newest blogging friend, Maya at "Completely Coastal"http://www.completely-coastal.com/ has opened my eyes to a very colorful and hip hotel in the Bahamas. I believe I really need to go and check this place out. It's PERFECT for my colorful life. Can't you just picture us strolling or biking down these colorful paths!?Or lounging on the deck, overlooking the beautiful beach? Perhaps sipping on a colorful, fruity drink? Or, maybe reading a colorful, juicy novel?
Or, hanging out at the bar listening to colorful stories, told by colorful new friends?
Or, sitting under colorful umbrellas after a dip in the pool would be nice and refreshing............
Or, peeking into more colorful bungalows........
This big, colorful bungalow would fit the bill if you brought the whole COLORFUL gang!
So here I am dreaming of sitting by the beautiful turquoise water and pondering WHEN I'll be able to go on this COLORFUL VACATION!

Strange Bed Fellows.....

2010-01-12T20:50:00.007-06:00

Thought you'd never see THIS in Houston, did you???? Last weekend Texas had record breaking frigid temperatures....below 32 for 4 days in a row. Although Carson and Riley get along just fine, it was unusual to see them curled up and sleeping together.
Thank goodness they don't read my blog....they might not be amused!

so fellow bloggers, do your dogs and cats get along?

Strange things in my neighborhood.....

2010-01-03T19:52:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year everybody and thanks for visiting my blog! I notice something strange in the coffee room at work last week. Does anything look unusual to you....cream, sugar, cups and Tabasco Sauce!?!?!?! I know Texans like things SPICY, but, really???? Spicy Coffee? I don't think anyone at the office actually drink coffee with Tabasco, but the tray sure looked funny to me! I'm not sure WHAT's going on in this neighborhood near mine. These gigantic mushrooms made me do a double take and quick drive around the block to get a picture. They're cute, but I'm not sure why they popped up!

And the final straw, to make me realize I'm not living in a normal world lately....the cool Hippie Van. Check out the personalized license plate....Turn On!

And here's a front view. Don't you like that huge FLOWER on the tire cover. Gotta just LOVE my COLORFUL life!!!!

Christmas Decorations

2009-12-21T13:00:00.000-06:00

Hi Friends....Come on in to my little house and help me welcome in the Christmas Season. As you can probably guess I like to use reds, green, silver and gold in my decorating. Anyway, come on in through the front door and the first thing you'll see is my double fireplace. Upon entering the front door you'll be plopped right into the living room. I moved the furniture around a bit but liked the tree in the corner. You'll also see Carson's crate sitting under the table in the bay window. He enjoys siting there and watching the world go by.

Go through the archway, past the fireplace in the den and is my dining room. Remember, I love all things Italian and this bright pasta picture makes me happy. The scale wasn't big enough for me so I painted a large red rectangle on the wall to make the picture seem bigger.

Here is the dining room fireplace and mantle. I used my snowman and more brightly colored trees in this room. I like the way they look with the red wall. Having dinner by the fire is a great way to enjoy a meal or sit and linger when it's cold outside and the fire is glowing. On the opposite wall I created this artwork from a poster, some modge podge, tissue paper and painter's canvas. My butler's pantry was created from of a bit of wasted space (we think it might have been the former laundry room/back porch). I faux finished the top to look like black granite.

Happy Holidays and try not to get so busy that you forget the REAL REASON FOR THE SEASON! Have a blessed week!

Ugly Ornament Party

2009-12-17T13:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday my office held our annual Ugly Ornament Party. My camera is "on the blink" and since I was a relatively new blogger this time last year, I'm re-cycling my post from last year. This year about a dozen ladies attended (both current employees and ones that have left but we still love anyway!). We all brought appetizers and sweets and had a feast! Everyone broke out their most delicious dishes and we all ate WAY too much....but TIS the season.

The picture below of the "disturbing" gnome/flying monkey/scary fairy combo are winners from a few years back. It seems we go in buying cycles and one year many of us brought similar type ornaments. We put a BAN on gnome like creatures....they were just frightening. LOL! These are now our tree toppers...pretty ugly and tacky, huh!

This is an ornament from a few years ago and we all laugh because it resembles and reminds us of one of our male co-worker. But "mum's the word" and we WON'T reveal who we think it looks like! HEHEHE! We've decided "what HAPPENS at the Ugly Ornament Contest....STAYS at the Ugly Ornament contest! Did I mention I work with a BUNCH of REALLY fun ladies???This puppy with a hat on his tail was from this year. It's CUTE but we thought it kinda looked like he was pooping out the hat and the look on his little puppy face is priceless. Oh well...I guess you had to have been there!
This could have been cute, especially on a children's themed tree but the colors were SO garish it was a bit spooky. My camera doesn't do the colors justice!
And what is it about a Gun Cabinet that screams CHRISTmas! However, we all agreed that on a manly tree or a woodsy themed tree this could be cute.
Here's a blush pink mesh crawfish/lobster. If you look closely the eyes are pink pearls and there is a smattering of beads and pearls randomly and haphazardly glued on. We decided this might be a good decoration at a Cajun Wedding.
And what doesn't make you think of evergreen Christmas trees, shiny tinsel and bright colored balls like a heart shaped cow; standing on a beet/radish/pink carrot. Again....he's cute, but CHRISTMAS!?!?
And last, but not least.....OUR FAVORITE! No comment necessary...she's just kitchy, funky, and fun!!!
After adding our favorites from years past, we stepped back and admired our handiwork and announced we had ourselves a FINE little tree....what do ya'll think?
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FELLOW BLOGGERS! Hope all is merry and bright in your world today!

There's No Christmas Yet!!!

2009-12-09T20:10:00.014-06:00

Getting into the Christmas mode this year has been difficult....but it's not because I'm blue or depressed. It's because I was in the Islands, Mon, and haven't quite gotten back in the swing of things at home.
With friends, I cruised out of Galveston to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

While chilling in Mexico, Christmas trees and baking cookies was far from my mind.

Beside relaxing we had some adventures....my travel companion, Fredna and I enjoyed traversing on a zip line over the Jamaican jungle! (and yes, her father's name was Fred and she wasn't a boy...so thus, the name Fredna...I think it's cute)

We cruised in jeeps and got to see a lot of the islands that most do not when they stick to the main roads.

We even tried Jamaican Bobsledding. It's sort of like your own personal roller coaster ride, but you have the options to brake (by hand). We all went FULL TILT and it was a blast.

We visited a cool Eco-Park in Xcaret....near Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. It was a cross between a zoo and a water park, next to a beautiful beach. We saw jaguars, anteaters, huge turtles and inner-tubed on an underwater ground river, Doing all this on the day when Houston had a freak snowstorm...but I wasn't too upset that I had missed it! And since I love all things COLORFUL, I thought this bus was cute. Do you?

Cozumel had put up a Christmas tree.....it took a while to get used to tropical versions of all the Christmas carols. :)

So....Feliz Navidad to all...(Merry Christmas in Spanish!). I had a wonderful trip but am now ready to make it feel like Christmas around here. My tree went up last night and today I'll do the rest of my decorating. So....It's FINALLY beginning to feel/look a lot like Christmas has arrive in "Susan's Colorful Life"! Happy Holidays to All my sweet blogging friends........Ya Mon!!!

Galveston Victorian House, Part Deux

2009-11-22T16:00:00.007-06:00

A few days ago I took you on a tour of my friends beautiful home in Galveston. I'm back with myore pictures of James and Jody's house and other pretty homes on their street. The picture below is a framed poster showing the front of their home, advertising a Historic Home Tour several years ago. This beauty is the home across the street. As you can see the tree on the far left is dead. Here in Houston/Galveston we still have MANY green leaves on our trees this time of year. This tree died because Hurricane Ike brought SO MUCH Sea water onto the island that many of the old oaks, pecans, pines, etc died. There are red "X's" all over the island on trees that are being marked for removal by the city.

Step into the big, beautiful kitchen. The ceilings are really tall (don't know the exact height). Check out the cabinets....they are original

This is a small 1/2 bath off the kitchen. The stained glasses is original to the house...in person, its a vibrant purple, green and gold! Check out the deep, crackled sink....

I love the fun little touches. Check out the "girl" in the corner of the stair landing. And check out the winding, beauty of the stairs.

And more stained glass on the next stair landing, heading to the third floor! This place is HUGE!

Thank goodness the big oak tree you see out of this stained glass survived and will NOT be cut down! YEAH!!

On to the backyard.....a Carriage House that is tiny but cute. A Houstonian leases the place and comes down on the weekends.

This is me and my long time friend James. He's one of the owners of the home and has absolutely wonderful taste and can do much of the work himself. What a skill, huh?

Here's another view of the back yard. Most of the plants had to be replaced and the soil amended because of sea water. Check out the cool walkways he and Jody created out of the old bricks they found through out the property. I'm always amazed at their ingenuity! THEY ROCK!

Since I figured you might want to see more of their neighborhood, I took some pictures on my way out. Get ready to ooooohhhhh and awwwwwww.....they are stunning. Galveston has come a long way since Ike but there are still tarps on roofs, trees needing to be cut down, etc., but "they've come a long way baby". Looking good!!!!

Thanks for coming along with me to Galveston....next time I go I'll take more pictures. :)

Visiting a Galveston Victorian

2009-11-18T19:11:00.012-06:00

Last weekend I went to a visit some dear friends in Galveston, TX. They actually live down the street from me in Houston, but bought an old 100+ year old Victorian about 5 years ago and have been working hard on re-furbishing it. They did such an awesome job that their fantastic house was on the Galveston Historic Home tour back in May 2006. They have a frame picture of the tour poster in their kitchen.

Isn't this a pretty front entrance. All the leaded glass and stained glass are original to the house. Not one piece has broken during any of the major hurricanes. The only damage they got during Ike was the water came in and was up to the bottom baseboards. It ruined the electrical outlets and the baseboards needed refinishing but that was about all the damage to the house.

This pretty little sitting area is in the foyer. Both homeowners have a great eye for the fun and unusual pieces. The tropical looking artwork behind the chairs is actually an old screen door that my friend had ogled for years as he drove through a ritzy part of Houston, River Oaks. As any good "junker" he noticed the house was for sale, knocked on the door and cut a deal right then! I think it's a wonderful and unusual piece, don't you?

This is a short of the front living room. Most of the fireplaces were boarded up and had been unused for years, but James and Jody (Homeowners) were successful in making this look like it would have been in days gone by. Also, check out the cool curved walls and high ceilings.

Here's a cute little window looking out onto the front yard. I'll post more on the yard, but it's obvious that they have a green thumb too!

The reason we all got together was a Wildtree Party. Have you heard of it????http://www.wildtreeherbs.com/Products/AboutProducts.aspx My friend Rebecca has become a distributor for Wildtree Products which includes a wide array of very tasty, organic and natural seasonings, oils, mixes, etc. This is a sampling of the products we got to taste And check out the HUGE gourd used as a centerpiece.

This is one of the four bedrooms in the house. I love the beachy, cool colors they have used in the house.

When they bought the house, it was pretty much FULL of stuff from the previous owner. Isn't that cool....very "IF WALLS COULD TALK", right? All these little clocks were found in the house to create a really great collection.

And how about this for a great way to display old post cards?

At one time this house was subdivided into several small apartments. This would have been my favorite. It's a bright sunny space at the front of the house. A little bedroom was off to the left, along with a good sized bath. There was a large community kitchen, but they all has small hotplates in their room too.

This is another one of the re-worked fireplaces (In the dining room).

And another sitting area, right off the dining room and looking out the beautiful big front windows.

Sorry, these pics are out of order...but here's a shot of another pretty blue bedroom. Isn't that a relaxing color.

One more view............I'll be back in a few days for more of this beautiful house and some pictures of the kitchen, yard and carriage house.

Fun in the Sun--Houston Style

2009-11-12T19:13:00.014-06:00

A longtime, dear friend of mine Susan A--YES another Susan!) had a birthday on October 25. As is our custom, we try to do something different and fun to celebrate. Susan A. has a flair for outdoor decorating. Below is a shot of her front door. http://bigsticksblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/funky-and-fun-trees.html You can also tell by these pictures she has a green thumb...actually, she's a certified master gardener!

She lost her precious 14 year old tuxedo cat, Lily this year and made a shine of sorts! RIP Lily....

So now onward to the celebrating.....Susan opted for several close friends to join her at a relatively new venue in Downtown Houston. It's called Discovery Green. http://www.discoverygreen.com/art/ They took raggedy old parking lots and buildings and turned the space into something beautiful and fun for Houstonians. There was a Recycled Globe exhibit and it was fun to walk around and see different artists interpretations.

That big building in the background is the George R. Brown Convention Center. Discovery Green is situated in front of the Convention Center, so when the weather is good the convention go-ers, craft fair lookers, quilt show peeps, etc. can overflow into the park and enjoy the almost year round outdoor weather Houston has to offer.

The Mist Tree is a 15-foot-high-by-22-foot-wide stainless steel structure that is sited to attract people to the park. Visible from beyond the park’s boundaries, the rain curtain and mist streams generated by the tree will entice children and adults to refresh themselves in its delightful shower.

"Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet." The public art exhibit features 50 super-sized Cool Globes that each convey a different message about what ordinary citizens can do to combat global warming. The five-foot diameter, seven-foot-tall globes were decorated by local, national and international artists.

RE-USE, RECYCLE, ETC........a theme that most of my blogging friends understand....we re-style, re-purposed, re-paint,.....so we are the ULTIMATE GREEN PEOPLE!

In honor of The King of Pop AND Halloween, locals were asked to come out early and learn Michael Jackson's dance routine in "Thriller". We were there mid afternoon and over and over again, throngs of people (Some dresses in character---Zombies!) practiced Thriller. It was a great people watching place. Later in the evening, Houston would be linked up via live satellite to "perform" thriller with other cities around the globe. Thus breaking the record of the MOST people simultaneously dancing Thriller! Pretty Cool, huh?!!??

These two pooches were enjoying all the dancing and crazy people watching!

Nationally acclaimed artist Margo Sawyer’s installation graces both exits of the underground garage, with accents interspersed through the "Green". The 151 panels hold 1,500 aluminum boxes in 65 colors. The paint on these boxes is also used in under water applications for oil rigs and was gifted by International Paint.

So, ends our wonderful birthday celebration--girl's day out! The weather could not have BEEN any better. And as we took one last look around, here's a sight we haven't see as much of in Houston, as in years past. In the BOOM time of Houston, everywhere you looked a new building was going up. It's good to see that we are building again...which mean....dare I say....maybe the economy is getting a little better. And Happy Birthday, dear Susan......I'm looking forward to spending many, many more fun girl days together!

Texas Hill Country Shopping

2009-11-03T18:44:00.009-06:00

Recently I spent a lovely, fall weekend with my cousins in Georgetown, TX. Aren't those pumpkins great yard art!!!! That pumpkin patch would lasts forever......

My beautiful and brilliant niece, Emily, is a student at Southwestern University in Georgetown. Emily is a huge dog lover and always finds a new friend when we are out and about.

The Poppy is the official flower of Georgetown, TX. Isn't this a great graphic on the side of the antique shop?

Sweet pumpkins and ghostly gourds are a fun decoration at the front door!

I loved this clever silk poppy and black feather centerpiece. It's sure to look "fresh" the whole season.

Hollandaze Gourmets is a shop we always drop by. This store has the most interesting gadgets, coffee/tea, pottery, food items, etc. The lovely Laurie Holland is the shop owners and is a friendly, smiling face there to greet at the door and point out the latest fun products.

This is a great shop for gifts for friends and well as gifts for yourself. Check it out here.......http://www.hollandazegourmet.com/

And this is Jerry Pizzitola....chef to the stars, personal chef and party guy. http://kitchenduty.net/ He has the coolest business.....He will shop, cook, serve with flair and clean up for a party in your own home. Everything I've had that he's made is delicious....and it's not a bad deal that he's charming, witty and handsome, right?

He MAKES mozzarella cheese....YES....MAKES it! In Hollandaze there is a full kitchen on site and Jerry, and great chefs, hold cooking classes there. This particular day was a Hawaiian Theme.

Can you guess what's under the tarp!??!!? It's a roasting pig....Hawaiian Style! See the coconut on top and the huge knife stuck in the ground (left)? We didn't stay long enough for the luau because we had more shopping to do, but I can guarantee, it was delicious.

And finally....Laurie Holland (left) and my sweet, fun cousin, Marsha (right)! Thanks for a great weekend and hope to see you soon!

Check back in a few days....I'll be celebrating my ONE YEAR Blog-a-versary with a give away with some goodies from Laurie store and a some other holiday surprises!!

Halloween Crafting Day

2009-10-14T19:54:00.007-05:00

I am lucky enough to work with some really cool and crafty friends. Many years ago we first got together to make a Christmas Craft and have gotten together ever since. It had been a year or so since we'd had a craft day, so my wonderful co-worker, Jennifer got it started again. First she fed us some delicious taco soup and we oh'ed and ah'd over her cute decorations and beautiful pumpkin cake she made.

Check out this precious cake she baked and decorated for us. Even the little pumpkins have cute, curly stems. She hasn't been at this long but she definitely has talent!

And I must say....it was DELICIOUS, as well as beautiful! It was Orange Dreamsicle flavored....mmmmm....mmmmm....mmmm,

Check out her cleaver mantle decorating. Click on to enlarge and look at her framed Halloween-esque pictures.

Jennifer's mom, Fredna, (seated) also a co-worker and is quite talented as well. She's a great seamstress and whips up the prettiest pillows, draperies, etc. She's "da bomb!" Here's she's sewing up one of the "cones" some of the group made.

Just another touch of Jennifer's decorating talent. She's filled her vases with the most interesting things! And check out the tassels she has hanging from the furniture. Aren't they cute?

At the cutting board.....crafty friend, Denise, Fredna and Michelle. Good friends have a great time together. :)

Denise and I made a candy corn door hanger craft...but we each put out special touches on them. Isn't it funny how we can all use the same pattern and everything turns out completely different....we ALL put different spins on our crafts.

And here's the whole crafting gang with our goodies to take home!

And Kathy decided it was a tassel kind of day for her. She is so good at them and so creative, we were inspired to make tassels at our next craft day in November....we will be doing Christmas tassels.

These are the finished product..........a finial, some spray paint, ribbons, glue gun and a hanger! Cool, huh?

Visit to Carmine, TX

2009-10-11T21:26:00.009-05:00

On my way to Georgetown, TX last weekend for a fun getaway, I drove thru the cute little town of Carmine. Carmine is VERY close to Round Top and Warrenton where all the recent antiquing fun was happening. I was on a tight schedule but when I cruised thru Carmine...what I saw was a "sign" from above that I HAD to stop!

I love old signs, and even though these were not in my budget....I just had to stop. Below are some of the cute things I discovered!

Isn't this store front with the baby pumpkins just the cutest thing!?!? The store wasn't opened yet but looked very promising!

The store is called Texas Trash and Treasures! Carmine's only about an hour and 1/2 from my house, so I need to pop up again sometime soon and check this store out! Double click on the picture to see the street sign.....it's a very German Community! You can get awesome sausages and kolaches in this area. mmmmm...mmmmm...mmmmmm!

Next, we stumbled upon a precious store named Emily & Co. The store is behind the homeowners beautiful home pictured below. They even have a little Lawn Jockey (see him in the bottom right?)

This is the back yard of the big white house and side yard to Emily & Co. And since I LOVE Coca-Cola signs...I was particularly drawn to this part of the yard.

It seemed that everywhere I turned, something had been turned into a cute planter. Here's a old washer turned planter!

The lettering on this window was just stenciled on with gold paint, but it gave it such a special look, don't you think?

But WAIT...there was something I REALLY wanted but heeded to my budget and didn't get! I HEART that Coca-Cola Cooler.....it was in great shape and a really good price, but I was behaving....wahhhh....being good is BORING! I STILL am wishing I had that cooler!

And here's a beautiful door......if you've read my blog for long you'll know I LOVE doors, windows and Coca-Cola.....I hit the jackpot on this adventure in Carmine! But again....all looking and no buying!

Another clever idea for an old wash tub.....fill it with bright sunflowers and hang a cute Halloween sign on the front! BOO!

And to finish off the Carmine tour, I wish I could tell you we drove away in the Red Truck....but sadly we didn't. I could just imagine tooling around the country road in this prize possession and traveling in style! And you KNOW....I would fill up the truck bed with all SORTS of fun treasures. :) Thanks for coming by.........and visiting Carmine with me! It was fun to hang out with you.

HAPPY FALL YA'LL!!!!!!

Candy Colored Houses

2009-09-30T19:46:00.011-05:00

As you can tell by my Blog Name....I LIKE color! And it looks like a lot of people in my neighborhood do too. This white house throws in color with window trip and a bright front door. There also a stained glass insert above the windows for another pop of color. This is big house a new-build made to look old and I think they did a good job of keep in character with the rest of the neighborhood.

Lot's of these "shot-gun" type houses are cropping up. They can put 2 or 3 of them on the big lots.

Now here's one with some COLOR, don't you agree?!?!

This peach house with the wrap around porch is a favorite style of mine.

This is a very typical home found in The Heights. Love the cheery yellow and can you imagine how many times that screen door has slammed with people coming in and out. Remember...I LOVE doors!

Here's another pretty yellow one with a wrap around porch and a lovely metal roof! You can also tell there are beautiful big trees in this neighborhood. Hurricane Ike didn't get most of them....YEAH!!!

And this rust colored home isn't exactly "candy colored" but I thought it was interesting...and no doubt colorful.

This bright pink house sort of matches the crepe myrtle in the front (see it blooming!?!?)

This duplex reminded me of fall with the soft yellows and pumpkin color doors.

And here's another new build in pale orange. It's a pretty house but I'm not so sure about the two small porches on the left! They just seemed to undersized to me.

And here's a favorite of mine. So picturesque....love the way they painted the porch, and the contrasting paint.

This soothing grey-green house is pretty too, don't you think?!?!

And another green one, with scales and stained glass.

And just one more......dark green with terra cotta accents. Isn't the porch railing divine?

Well, there ya go....another winding drive home from work....and more houses discovered. Thanks for joining me for the tour.

This House ROCKS!

2009-09-27T14:19:00.007-05:00

I took another "Sunday Drive and found another cute neighborhood close to my house. In this neighborhood the homes are not nearly as old as in my neighborhood but they are equally charming. Most of these homes were built in the 70-80's but I think this particular one is a new build---or a total re-do. I "heart" their landscaping....and those big urn-like fountains are really big around here these days.

I like the grasses and dry creek bed they created in their front yard.....interesting!

Here's a closer look at the front porch. Doesn't that slate look pretty with the rough rock exterior and the rough cut poles?

Imagine my surprise when I looked on line and found out this house was for sale. Since it was listed online I got these wonderful pictures of the interior. This must be a neighborhood where they aren't allowed to put For Sale Signs up, so I didn't have a clue that my newest dream house was for sale. (stick around you'll see I LOVE to look at houses that are for sale, although I LOVE my house and am in not way looking to move...LOL! Just snoopy, I guess!!?!?

Here's a picture of their lovely dining room. Notice the pretty floor and faux wall treatment.

The half bath off the foyer is beautiful. How do you like that beautiful basin and pretty sconces?

Step into the long, galley kitchen. That big stove would be put to good use if I lived here.

This sunny breakfast nook and bar area would be a good gathering place for family and friends.

Here's a view into the kitchen from the opposite view. Nice and bright, right?

I like the flow of this house. Here's the den/family room....but it's near the kitchen and opens to the back patio.

I think the color choice of the rooms is soothing and I like the mix of the dark and light.

The master bath is a galley style as well. Aren't the colors delicious!?

Now THAT'S a Texas sized tub!

And a BIG back yard, which to me is just screaming....PUT IN A POOL! :)

And a big covered porch to keep the Texas sun off when it gets TOO unbearably hot. Or when a rain shower blows through. Alas....I love this house and was thrilled that I could take a peek via the Internet but when I saw the price....I knew I just needed to stay put in my little casa and just DREAM BIG!